Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT)

After failing in earlier efforts to enter the New York City market, Wal-Mart (WMT) is in advanced talks with politically powerful construction unions over a deal to build stores with unionized workers. In a divide-and-conquer strategy for labor, Wal-Mart could use union laborers to build new stores here while still using non-union retail workers to staff them.

Troubled grocer A&P (GAP) filed for bankruptcy yesterday, unable to handle both its heavy debt load and growing competition from low-price rivals like Wal-Mart (WMT) and Shoprite (SRHGY.PK). The company doesn't have a prearranged restructuring deal in place with creditors.

Perhaps still smarting from the merger of two of Russia's largest grocery chains, Wal-Mart (WMT) is closing its Moscow business office, though it's still open to acquisitions in the country. Wal-Mart is leaving amidst a wave of foreign investment aimed at the emerging Russian consumer.

Great Atlantic & Pacific (GAP-57.9%) may file for bankruptcy in the coming days to restructure debt, Bloomberg reports. The once-dominant grocery store chain founded in 1859 has struggled to compete with discounters such as Target (TGT) and Wal-Mart (WMT), and has been the subject of bankruptcy rumors in the past.

Pyaterochka and Kopeika, two of Russia's largest grocery chains, are merging in order to prepare for competition against Wal-Mart (WMT). Wal-Mart has been trying to enter the Russian market for some time, including a failed attempt at buying Kopeika.

The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from Wal-Mart (WMT) in the nation's biggest-ever employment discrimination case - one dating to 2001 and involving billions of dollars in claims - though the key decision is in whether it qualifies as a class action, which should affect antitrust, product-liability and other cases, and slow dockets this year in the meantime.

Stubbornly high unemployment, stalled aggregate income, and stagnant hourly earnings - taken together, gains in November sales came at the expense of household savings. Overall, the latest jobs report does not bode well for strong consumption growth through the holiday season. Retail stocks slide: WMT-0.5%, TGT-1.2%, GPS-2.2%, M-2.7%, BIG-3.6%.

Retailers like Best Buy (BBY+2.8 %) and Amazon (AMZN-0.1%) are making mobile phones 'mission critical' sales tools. With special discounts and other incentives, retailers will drive purchases via mobile phones to $3B by year's end, and to $6B in 2011, say analysts.

Cyber Monday's sales topped $1B, a 16% jump from 2009, making it the top online shopping day in U.S. history, says comScore. Overall, holiday seasonal spending is up 13% to $13.5B. However, these gains came only with costly retailer incentives, such as free shipping, that will cease with the holidays.

Cyber Monday ended a holiday shopping week of record buying volumes for online retailers, who saw sales gains of 20% from a year prior. Despite the claim this is 'the end of the store as we know it,' online shopping still makes up only 10% of the overall U.S. retail spending pie.

Wal-Mart (WMT) claimed that on Black Friday its web traffic rose 30% from 2009, and this year's Thanksgiving saw a 50% increase from 2009. Wal-Mart was responding to reports that it felt lowballed its 'net traffic rates. In any case, this shows that as Amazon (AMZN) is creeping into traditional retail space, some retailers are making equal inroads into Amazon's.

This year, Cyber Monday could pull in a record $1B, up from $900M last year. Almost 90% of retailers are participating in the event today through discounts and free shipping. The latter is great for UPS (UPS+0.4%) and FedEx (FDX+3.3%), as well.

The iPad (AAPL) and other Apple gadgets should do especially well this holiday season, with a boost from partners Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Verizon Wireless (VZ, VOD). A survey shows 9% of holiday shoppers will pick up an iPad in the next 90 days, locking it in as the touchscreen computer leader. Apple is -0.5% to $313.25.

Some 212M shoppers went to stores and websites over Thanksgiving weekend, 6.4% more than last year, and spent an average of $365.34, the National Retail Federation says. Consumer sentiment has been rising, and anecdotal evidence suggests that people are less worried about losing their jobs. WMT-0.4%, TGT-0.9%, BBY-1.3%, KSS-0.7%, SKS+0.1%.

Amazon (AMZN) will revamp its site to sell in regions beyond the U.S. and the half dozen other countries where it does business. An international platform development team will enable new language translations and regional tax, pricing, and delivery adjustments. Premarket, Amazon is +1.4% to $179.80.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, operates retail stores in various formats under various banners. Its operations comprise of three reportable business segments, Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam's Club in three categories retail, wholesale and others.